The Perfect Game
by temporary relief
Summary: After Stella leaves for New Orleans, the team is left grappling for a new CSI. As they search, relationships are tested while new ones form. In the end, it isn't about how the game ends, but about each individual play as it happens. Minor pairings: DL, F/OC, M/OC
1. Bottom of the First

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY. I own anyone you don't recognize.**

**Notes: Came up with this watching **_**How I Met Your Mother**_**, but really it has more to do with baseball than anything. I just got the idea from the show, but here we go. This follows a relationship through a perfect game. Like always, enjoy.**

"**Baseball is the most perfect of games, solid, true, pure and precious as diamonds. If only life were so simple. Within the baselines anything can happen. Tides can reverse; oceans can open. That's why they say, "the game is never over until the last man is out." Colors can change, lives can alter, anything is possible in this gentle, flawless, loving game." – W.P. Kinsella**

**The Perfect Game**

**Bottom of the First**

_Here's the first pitch. A breaking ball inside. Strike one!_

The faint smell of cigarettes lingered at the entrance of the bar, but he pressed on towards it anyway. She was just outside the bar, holding a newly-lit cigarette when he stopped.

Giving her a look of utter disapproval, he told her, "I thought you gave it up."

"Last cigarette ever," she grinned. "It's hard to quit, and, honestly, I don't have a reason to."

He shook his head. "I don't want to see an autopsy on you because of this."

"Think you'll outlive me, Taylor?" She puffed on her cigarette, laughing in the unusually chilly air.

He grinned. "At this rate, yeah."

She frowned and flicked some of the spent cigarette onto the ground.

Sensing the need for a subject change, he shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around for some inspiration. "Who's here?"

"Danny and Don went to get some smokes. Sheldon and Lindsay are inside. I think Shel's thinkin of killin' me before this little guy does," she laughed. He humored her with an awkward chuckle before taking his hands out of his pockets. "So have you found a new CSI?"

"Looking for your old job, Higgs?"

This time she laughed. "No, not me. I'm just wonderin'."

"I'm still looking."

She shook her head. "Mac, she's not comin' back."

"I know, but there isn't anyone qualified." He didn't meet her gaze but instead drifted to her arm where a spider was busy crawling. Immediately, he swiped it away.

She flinched, quite obviously, when he touched her arm.

"Sorry, there was a spider."

She coughed and answered hastily, "Yeah, those things freak me out." And then, as if on cue, she turned red as a result of her reaction. "It's their legs," she added. "They curl up weird when they're dead."

"Yeah," he said half-heartedly.

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

She shook her head and laughed, flicking more ash on the ground.

"You really should quit."

"I told you. I don't have a reason to. There's no one I want to quit for."

He shook his head. "You'll find someone. I know it doesn't matter, but I really hope you quit." And with that, he left her outside as he went to meet his team for some drinks inside.

Just like in an old film, he knew as soon as he saw her that she was going to be special in his life. Her glasses were bookish but chic, and her ruby lips shimmered even as she sipped her beer. She had blue eyes and dirty-blonde hair. She looked about 42 years old, but that was nothing against her.

"Scotch," he ordered as he sat down next to the woman, ignoring looks from his team. Normally, he'd stick with beer, but for some reason, he felt like he needed something hard to talk to her.

She coughed when he sat down. "Long day?"

He nodded and sipped his scotch.

"I thought so. I'm Amy by the way."

"Mac," he answered immediately with a grin.

"So, Mac, what was it about your day that made it scotch-worthy?"

He laughed. "It's the nature of my job."

"Scotch-taster?"

Once again, he laughed. Shaking his head, he answered, "No, I work for the crime lab."

"What do you do there?"

"I run it actually."

"Oh, Mister Big Shot."

"Something like that. So what do you do?"

She shook her head, blonde curls cascading down. "Nothing very important. I'm a chef."

Their conversation lingered as another conversation took off across the room. Sheldon set down his beer and sighed. Fixating his hand on the personnel file in front of him, he set about looking through it.

"I don't know about this guy, Linds" he told her after reading over it.

She frowned and sipped her beer. "His arrest record is over ninety percent with an eighty-seven percent conviction rate. That's unheard of."

"Yes, but he's from Waco, Texas. That's nowhere close to the size of New York City. He'd be overwhelmed. Also, he's had three complaints on his file – all of them are legitimate too."

A brunette sat next to him and chuckled. "Have somethin' against Texas, Doc?"

"No, just against this Jack Johnson."

"Jack and Mac. Sounds like a winner," Kelly laughed, "but I have someone better than him."

"You haven't looked at the file yet," Lindsay countered. "His arrest record is phenomenal."

There was no rebuke of that. After all, Jack had a phenomenal record, but Sheldon was correct. This guy was trouble to any department.

Sheldon took a long drink of beer, realizing this was going to be a long night. "No way. Mac won't hire this guy. He's had too many complaints."

"Not to mention he's currently suspected of mishandling evidence. I lost my job over that," Kelly pitched in.

"Among other things," Lindsay laughed.

She shook her head. "Even though I didn't mishandle anything, it's still a sore spot. I think Jack's a no." To add to her point she leaned forward and gathered them closer. "Y'all remember when Shel didn't tell Mac about that girl having his number?"

With a nod of her head, Lindsay replied, "I don't think we're going to find a perfect person. He's good enough."

Sheldon shook his head. "Good enough won't replace Stella."

"We can't replace her," Lindsay answered sullenly. "God, why'd she have to take that job in New Orleans? She should've stayed here. I need her here."

The table was silent. No one really wanted to answer the rhetorical question, but both knew the real answer. Lindsay did too, but they all avoided talking about it. Kelly made herself busy swirling her beer around in its bottle while Sheldon found himself finishing his own. Eventually deciding that he wanted another, he got up and headed to the bar.

Moments later, Danny and Don joined them with a round of beers in their hands.

"This isn't going to work," Don said adamantly. "He's too damn stubborn to take our advice."

Danny snickered, "And he's too busy mackin' on that chick over there." No one laughed at his pun so he busied himself with his drink.

Finding his seat again, Sheldon let out an exasperated sigh. "So who all do we have? Jack Johnson's out. I have Freddie McCormick."

"Johnny Feldman."

"Katherine Smith."

"Sam Carter."

They compiled their files on the table in front of them, filling each other in on each aspect of these people. Freddie McCormick lived in Boston and was the daughter of the Chief of Detectives in that same city. Her family name had gotten her the job at the crime lab there.

Danny piped up immediately. "Hell no!"

"She's good," Sheldon argued. "Despite the family name, she's got a solid arrest record, and she's good in court."

"But her specialty's physics which is Mac's. We don't need two of them," Lindsay sided with Danny. "We need someone to spice up the team."

Don sat back and listened to the three team members bickering before answering. "She's too young. I don't think she has enough experience."

"She does though," Kelly countered a little callously. "Her track record's self-explanatory. Plus, she's very good in chemistry which we need at the lab."

Lindsay snorted. "What do you know about what we need in the lab? You just couldn't wait for Stella leave, could you?"

"You think I want my job back? I like working in the precinct! I don't want to work under Mac," she rebutted fiercely.

"I know something else you want to do _under_ Mac," Danny whispered suggestively. His remark caused two pairs of eyes to glare at him.

"Hold on," Don started smoothly, "before we start jumping down each other's throats, let's calm down. We all miss Stella. We aren't trying to replace her. Linds, you were right: we _do _need someone to spice up the team."

"Let's just give her file to Mac. It is his decision after all," Danny conceded. "Who's next?"

Kelly handed him Johnny's file. He specialized in chemistry like she had. For the past five years, he had run the crime lab in a Chicago suburb.

"No," Sheldon shook his head. "This guy's anti-military. He's had several complaints about it."

"I wouldn't call it anti-military at all," Danny snorted. "He's just anti-everything it looks like so I'm going to say no."

"He's opinionated for sure," Don laughed.

Higgins rolled her eyes. "Mac _likes_ opinionated. It keeps him sharp."

"Why don't we look at Katherine?" Danny asked. "She's a solid lab tech."

"Just solid?" Hawkes asked. "Why is everyone just solid? Why can't we find anyone extraordinary who doesn't have any baggage?"

"Sam Carter's good," Flack argued. "He's been in the field for a while and just switched to the lab. My friend in Jersey says he's the best CSI he's seen in a while."

Lindsay looked over the file and frowned. "He's too green. He has ten months of lab experience. That's not going to cut it. Guys, I think we need to add Jack back into the mix."

"He's too rogue. Mac won't go for him."

"He's still a viable choice, Danny," Lindsay argued. She sighed and looked at her watch as she found herself frustrated by this turn of events. "It's been an hour, and he's still talking to her. I'm calling it a night."

Don nodded. "He's been distracted lately. It's not like him."

"Maybe it's a good thing," she laughed hollowly. "Maybe a little distraction will get him back to doing his job."

"I don't know," Kelly countered a bit defensively. "He needs to start looking for a new CSI."

The team quieted down after that. An hour had in fact gone by, and Mac had not met them like he insisted he would (mostly to get them to stop asking). First, Lindsay had left with Danny close behind her.

Don yawned after they left. "Well, as much fun as this little party is, I'm gonna go. I got myself a hot date." He smiled and left the table with a bounce in his step.

Sheldon laughed. "How do you feel about him dating your friend?"

"I'm sick of feelings right now, Doc."

He frowned and took a final sip of beer. "Think you can give Mac the files?"

"Yeah. Go have fun. I'm just gonna read over these one more time."

He patted her shoulder and left the bar. She sat there for a good ten minutes, watching with intrigue as Mac talked with Amy.

"Here's my number, Mac." She slid her number into her hand. "I have to be up early for the food shipment. Good night."

She sauntered out of the bar, and he couldn't help but watch her walk out with a smile on his face.

Tony, the bartender, set a new glass of scotch in front of him.

"I didn't order one," he rebutted immediately.

Tony just laughed. "It's from the brunette at the end of the bar." He nodded towards Kelly who sent Mac a knowing look. The next thing Mac knew, Tony had set a set of files in front of him with a note on top. When Mac looked up, she was gone.

He looked at the note.

_M,_

_I know how much you like a good scotch. After another drink, these files will look as pretty as that woman you were chatting up._

_XOXO_

_K_

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this first 'inning.' Please review. I hope you have a wonderful day :)**


	2. Bottom of the Second

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY. I do own any characters you don't recognize.**

**Notes: Part 2 of 9. Mac continues to see Amy. The team continues to look for a new CSI. Thanks to Nik Nak 17 for the encouragement and for reading this. Like always, enjoy.**

**Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can't get you off. ~ Bill Veeck**

**The Perfect Game**

**Bottom of the Second**

_What a smooth first inning! This pitcher has got his stuff today…_

Yellow crime scene tape greeted the two of them that Wednesday morning as they walked up to the scene. St. Mark's Catholic School was a staple of the neighborhood. Danny lifted the tape gingerly to allow Lindsay underneath. She thanked him with a smile as she set her case down and pulled on a pair of latex gloves. She looked over at Higgins who shrugged in response.

Danny spoke up. "So what happened here?"

"Miguel Sanchez, age 17, was found this morning around four by a janitor. Higgs already interviewed him. She said that he told her that he found Miguel on the ground with someone else over him. When he came closer, the other person ran, and he didn't get a good look at him. Also, he didn't touch him, and he's pretty messed up after finding him like this," Flack answered as he gestured to the young man, bruised badly around her face.

Sheldon looked quite sullen over the death of this kid. "Dammit, I want to catch this guy. This poor boy was beaten to death. Sid'll have to tell us for sure, but I'm betting I'm right. He's got a broken orbital and the occipital bone is smashed."

Lindsay shook her head. She hated these cases. They always reminded her of her own friends whose lives had been cut short. She swallowed her anxiety and pushed through her memories. This kid needed her here, and he needed her best efforts.

"We'll get him, Doc," Kelly spoke up. "It might take a while though. You look a little _short-handed_."

At this, Mac stood up from where he was photographing evidence. "This isn't the place, Higgins."

"It's exactly the place, _Taylor_. It's _my_ job to make sure you're doin' _your_ job. I just want to know how the search's goin'," she said quietly so only he'd hear. He walked up to her to continue their quiet conversation. "Have you even looked at the files?"

"I have."

"And?"

"I've looked at them," he said impatiently. "Right now, I have a crime scene."

She grabbed onto his lapel and whispered, "Mac, do you really think a relationship is a good thing right now?"

He shoved her hand off of him and walked away, shaking his head. In that moment, he felt so irritated with her. Even though he knew why she was doing this – messing with him – it still aggravated him. It was going to be on his terms when he picked a new CSI.

Lindsay watched with amusement as Mac walked back to where he was. He looked so flustered or probably just frustrated. She decided it was a little of both. She didn't miss the look between Kelly and Don where the former grinned and the latter rolled his eyes.

She shook her head. "What do we know about this kid?"

Don answered grimly, "Star athlete. He was St. Marks' ace pitcher. Rice was looking at him and so was Cal. He was a bright kid. Father Jacobson wants to perform his last rites." He nodded to Father Jacobson who was standing by a uniform, praying over Miguel.

"We need to look at his locker after we finish this scene. Get a uniform over there," Mac told Don who nodded sharply and signaled over a young officer to find the locker and, in essence, tape it off.

"We've got Detective Lawson tellin' Michael's parents. They'll come by autopsy later today when we get him back," Don told him morosely. He looked at the ground and shook his head. He hated – they _all_ hated – these types of cases. A kid with so much promise, just at the beginning of his life, killed.

Mac nodded once and returned to photographing what looked to be a large splinter of wood near Miguel. The tip was dark brown, but the rest was a light brown, practically khaki in color.

The rest of the scene seemed oddly barren. Danny remarked about how he felt there should be more blood at the scene. The poor boy had been beaten severely, and there was in fact a lack of blood.

"So we're looking for a second crime scene," Lindsay answered. "But where? We have no idea who this kid or where he was before he died."

"That's not completely true," Flack answered for her as he hung up his phone. "Michael's mother said he was out late working on his pitching at the field at school. Lawson's still with her. He says she doesn't know anyone who would hurt him."

Mac nodded. Kelly waved Officer Sanchez over. "I need ya to come with us for a bit. We –" she gestured to herself and Mac "- are gonna go check out the field."

She waited for Mac to follow her before saying, "I saw it drivin' in."

He nodded but didn't say anything to her. He didn't mind the silence between them. She seemed anxious to talk to him about something, but she never got around to actually talking.

"If you don't mind, Higgs, I've got a crime scene to get to."

He passed her, and she laughed. "Taylor, I'm not lettin' you go to a scene that hasn't been secured yet."

He answered gruffly, "What would I do without you?"

"Not make it to your date this weekend," she answered sourly. He gave her a dark look to which she merely shrugged. "Mac, you didn't think I wouldn't know about it? You've been so distracted lately ever since St-"

"I'm not distracted," he interrupted her fiercely, and she knew that the conversation was finished.

She wanted to ask why it was he never talked about Stella, but she already knew the reason. It hurt too much. There was too much betrayal between the both of them. Part of it was his fault. Part of it was Stella's fault. All she knew was that Mac pulled some weight to get her the job in New Orleans, and Stella wasn't happy about that. Then again, Mac had his reasons. Neither was particularly innocent in what happened.

Her thoughts didn't occupy her for long. Soon, Lindsay joined her with a grin on her face. A couple of uniforms followed behind her

"What do you need me to do, Mac?" Monroe asked in a chipper voice. She turned to Kelly. "Don wants to talk to you." The other woman nodded and walked away without a word.

"Look in the dugout. I think that's where our second scene will be."

"Are you sure? He was a pitcher after all. I'd think he was on the mound."

"I found a sliver of wood or something similar. Now I'm thinking it could be a bat."

She frowned and shook her head. "There's a problem with that."

"Yeah?"

She walked into the dugout and pointed to the metal bats hooked into the fence. "High school uses metal bats, Mac. I don't see any wooden bats here. I don't think a bat was the murder weapon."

He nodded and looked around them, as if suddenly unsure of himself. He didn't know if this was the crime scene anymore. He didn't want to feel so unsure. It was unlike him really. And he knew why he was all in a tizzy over this.

Like clockwork, Lindsay guessed it too. "I really do miss her, Mac. I try to tell myself that I don't, but it's a lie. She was – still is – my best friend."

Again, he only nodded in response.

"Tell me I'm not the only one," she pleaded.

His reaction was mixed, and she couldn't quite read him. At first, he seemed willing to agree with her, but then he remembered his pride and frowned at her. She wanted to push further, but something kept her from saying anything else. She wasn't like the others; she didn't want to push him. They had a good working relationship, and it wasn't worth risking for a cause that she believed was lost. He was going to take his time with finding a new CSI, just like he took his time doing everything else.

A camera flash stole her from her thoughts. There was still a crime scene in front of her.

A couple of hours later, Mac decided that the dugout had been cleared of all possible evidence. Lindsay sighed, exhausted already. This case was going to be hard to get through, but somehow, she figured, they'd manage. They always did.

It was about noon when they left the crime scene. Danny and Hawkes were still processing the first scene. Miguel had been transported back to the morgue with Sid only a little while after they started processing the dugout.

Lindsay watched as Mac carefully weaved his way through the summer traffic. Normally, when Mac would drive, there would be some sort of conversation, but right now, she couldn't find any words to say. All of a sudden, she felt guilty. She was supposed to be talking to Mac about Stella right now. They had all agreed on it.

"The team wants me to talk to you about Stella," she admitted finally. "They think it'll help you choose another CSI."

With a clench of the steering wheel, he made his opinion on their conversation known. She felt like she was betraying him. He hadn't done anything to merit this. He was a good boss and was kind, often looking over her and Danny's many _indiscretions_.

She normally wouldn't press him, but the others were right. Stella leaving was eating him up. He just wasn't ready to admit it.

"Mac, I know you miss her too despite what happened," she proceeded cautiously, not wanting him to shut down completely.

Silence. He wasn't going to talk. That was fine. She was going to talk.

She drummed her fingers on the side of her leg as she tried to find the words she needed. "And _despite_ what happened, you can't let how things ended with you two affect the team like it _is_ right now." She took a deep breath. "And you can't let it prejudice you against any newcomer. We need another CSI."

He nodded and put on his blinker, before making a left into the crime lab garage. She opened the door as soon as he stopped the Avalanche. Neither said a word as they grabbed the boxes of evidence and headed towards the elevator.

"I'm sorry, it's just that everyone wants me to talk to you, and I kinda agree with them, Mac. You're distracted. It may not be affecting your work, but it's definitely affecting ours."

Silence.

"We're worried about you."

The doors to the elevator opened quietly, allowing them entrance. Three floors into the ride, Mac broke his silence.

"Whose idea was it?"

She smiled coyly. "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about."

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing. You're talking to me about Stella since you two were close. Higgins is pestering me into finding a new CSI. I'm sure Danny, Don, and Sheldon are all waiting their turn," he explained impatiently.

She held her ground, however. The team had prepared her for this. "You have quite an imagination. I'm just telling you that we're concerned."

He shook his head. "Lindsay, I am looking for a new CSI. The files you gave me were not what I was looking for."

"Even Jack Johnson?"

He laughed and knew like he knew for everyone else that she picked him. He could tell who picked each of the candidates. "Especially Jack Johnson. I'm still looking for a new CSI, but it won't be from those five." He shifted the box as he talked to her. "Believe it or not, I've chosen every single member of this team, and this one won't be any different."

"It _is_ different," she protested. "Stella's different than replacing someone else. We just want to help."

"You're flirting with a thin line, here, Lindsay. This isn't your job."

And that was it. The conversation was decidedly finished, and she knew better than to push anymore. So she let him leave and log the evidence.

It was nearly lunch when Danny and Sheldon joined her in the lab. They unloaded their evidence and sighed.

"It's been a long day," Danny grumbled.

Sheldon shook his head. "It's not even noon."

Lindsay frowned before she spoke. "Mac's not happy."

"I take it you talked to him," Sheldon supplied sympathetically.

"No, I talked _at _him, and then he snapped. I just can't take getting chewed out by him. I'm not like you guys."

They smiled sympathetically. "We don't like it, but you could always do what Kelly does."

"I am _not_ flirting with my boss," she said with a defiant look on her face. Her look soon faded at the look of the other two. The three of them broke into wide grins that turned into fits of laughter.

Sheldon was the first to stop laughing, and he gave a look to the chuckling CSIs. They continued to smirk as he just shook his head. "Come on, guys, maybe we should get working. I don't want to work on this case any longer than I have to."

Across the lab, Mac was busy taping up pictures onto his glass walls. He wanted to transport the scene around him because he knew somewhere in these pictures was the clue that would connect the little evidence they collected together.

"I thought you'd be here."

"It _is_ my office," he retorted dryly. "What do you want, Higgs?" He was still peeved with her over her comments that morning.

She smiled. "I'm just here because Miguel's parents are coming by. They had trouble accepting the news."

He nodded and relaxed

"What'd you think of Johnny Feldman?"

He chuckled. "He's your pick, isn't he? He's too opinionated. I see why you like him though."

"Why's that?"

"He's opinionated."

"_You_ like opinionated too."

He frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"You like me," she laughed and eyed him as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Some days."

"Most days," she corrected and played with his shirt collar.

He was tempted to roll his eyes. "Not today."

"The day is still young, _dear_."

"There's not enough time in the world for you to undo this morning."

She looked around at the picture of the baseball field and grinned. "Maybe it's good that we're lookin' at this. It makes explainin' a bit easier."

"Explaining what?"

"Well," she started with a smile that he thought looked good on her, "if I succeed just three out of ten times, I'm batting three hundred, and that's awesome. So if you like me most days, that's like batting six hundred. That's unheard of. I must be your favorite player. I'm unbelievable."

"You're my slugger," he answered and was pleased to find that he added enough sarcasm even for her.

She laughed. "More like your DH. Especially if you don't find someone."

"Keep talking like that, and I'll bench you."

She practically purred, "I'd like to see you try."

"Don't you need to be in the morgue?" He rolled his eyes and showed her to the door.

She paused at the door. "Aren't you coming?"

He took a look at the case file, and decided that he did need to talk to Sid about the high profile nature of this case since it was a minor who was the victim. He knew the doctor wouldn't divulge any information anyway, but he wanted to make sure.

She explained to him that Flack had gone back to the precinct to compile their reports. Lawson had driven the parents to the morgue, but he was needed in court so she would escort them out.

He watched her breathe deeply before stepping out of the elevator. He knew this was a detective's worst nightmare – telling the parents that their child wouldn't come home. The second worst was going with them to identify the body. Trying to comfort the parents was impossible. Every detective knew that the pain they were feeling was unimaginable.

The morgue was still. Even the movement of the MEs and assistants made no difference. The place had died when Miguel was rolled in on that gurney.

He didn't envy Kelly as she walked over to the parents. Once Lawson saw her, he excused himself and took the elevator downstairs. Mac made his way over to Sid. He could just hear the conversation between the parents and Higgins.

"Hello, I'm Detective Higgins. I'm working the case with Detective Lawson –"

"I am sorry to interrupt, Detective," Rosa Sanchez sniffed quietly, her Hispanic accent quite evident, "but my husband's English is poor."

"Si, Señora," Higgins started in Spanish, and after that, Mac lost track of their conversation and started his own.

"Sid, I just want to make sure that we're on the same page here. I don't want this investigation in the headlines."

He nodded. "I hear ya, Mac, but I only expect the same from you. I wouldn't let that young Johnny Shirley near the case. He's been known to talk after a few drinks."

Mac nodded, knowing how the young lab tech loved to be the center of attention. "I'd keep Doctor Skillman off this one. Actually, I would really appreciate it, if you would do this autopsy yourself."

The older man nodded and undid his glasses, placing them on his chest. "I need to start this autopsy." Without another word, he walked over to where the parents were anxiously waiting to see their son.

Higgins stayed where she was and steeled herself against the oncoming reactions. She glanced back at Mac for support, but he knew better than to come in now. He wasn't good with this situation so he gave her what he hoped was a sympathetic and/or encouraging nod.

Rosa Sanchez buried her head into her husband's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. He ushered her out of the morgue with the detective on their heels. She handed the husband her card and offered to escort them downstairs. He nodded curtly.

After they left, Mac watched Sid begin his autopsy. The doctor took the upmost care with all of his patients but especially when children were involved.

"Sid, I want that report as soon as it's done."

The ME nodded but didn't look up from his work.

It was then that Mac realized that this was not going to be an open and shut case. He had this feeling that the first forty-eight hours wouldn't matter like they normally did. His team would work themselves to the bone for those two days, but he ended up being right. They were no closer on Saturday than they were that Wednesday at the crime scene.

In fact, he went off to his date feeling as frustrated as he did before he left the lab that day.

Feeling utterly un-date-worthy, he stood outside the restaurant and hoped that she wasn't too late. He would have picked her up at her apartment, but she had insisted.

"Hey," Amy said softly, and he turned around to face her. "Long day?"

He nodded in reply, and she smiled.

"You can tell me all about it over dinner."

He led her inside and felt relieved that they were seated immediately. She sipped her wine and looked at him intently.

"So what happened? Are you working a case? What's it about?"

"Amy," he started slowly, "I can't talk about the case."

"Oh."

Suddenly, Higgins popped into his head.

_Mac, do you really think a relationship is a good thing right now?_

As if he were still talking to her, he thought:

_Yeah because I'm going to make this one work._

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Please review! I'd love to know what you think! Have a great day! :)**


	3. Bottom of the Third

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY. I do own any characters you don't recognize. Nik Nak 17 owns Niki Foxx.**

**Notes: Part 3 of 9. Thanks to Nik Nak 17 for the encouragement. Like always, enjoy.**

**I'm convinced that every boy, in his heart, would rather steal second base than an automobile. ~ Tom Clark**

**The Perfect Game**

**Bottom of the Third**

_This team is a well-oiled machine. Two innings in and no signs of slowing down..._

Five interviews down, one to go. So far, the only information that was even marginally meaningful was that Miguel had a girlfriend, Sophia Perez. Right then, she and her parents were waiting to be interviewed. Lindsay was looking over Flack's notes from the past interviews before she sat down with this family.

Meanwhile, Don and Kelly watched from the observation room. Flack sat on the table in their while she leaned against the white board.

"So we've got a bat as a murder weapon?" Don asked.

She started to write their knowns on the board. "Yeah, it's a wooden bat. Sid found traces of the same wood that Mac found in Miguel's head. We also know that someone else was still with him when the janitor found him. Besides that we know where the murder happened, but we don't have a motive, and according to everyone, he wouldn't upset anyone."

"So we have nothin'," Don shook his head. He was just as frustrated as she was by this case. They were no closer to finding this guy than they were six days ago. He wanted a break from this case, but he knew that wasn't going to do him any good. Actually, he wanted this case solved. He had a date tonight, but all he was going to be thinking about was how they still hadn't caught the guy.

"We don't have "nothin'," Don," Sheldon answered as he walked into the room.

Kelly grinned and stifled a laugh as Don rolled his eyes. "We don't even have a motive. The murder weapon is missin', and everyone says the same thing about this kid. Doc, you better have good news."

"Maybe the murder weapon is the key," he answered. "Lindsay said that high school uses metal bats."

"Summer leagues use wooden bats," Kelly corrected. "This kid was All-American, right? Well, he would've played on a summer league. You don't get Rice and Cal to look at you by just playin' high school ball."

"So get his coach in here. Maybe he knows who had a grudge against Miguel," Sheldon suggested with a laugh. She grunted in reply and flipped open her phone.

Flack watched her walk away from the two of them to have a quick conversation with Detective Lawson. He looked at the doctor who seemed to be very amused by her reaction. "You wanna come to lunch with me and Kells?"

He shook his head. "The last time I went to lunch, you two bailed on me and left me with the bill."

"I don't know what you're talking about. It was a real emergency," Flack coughed and looked down, away from Sheldon.

"Yeah, yeah," the doctor rolled his eyes and watched the younger detective avoid looking at him. "I'd go, but I don't want to have to pay again."

Kelly hung up the phone. "Lawson said he'll find the coach of that team. Shel, if you come, we'd be happy to pick up the tab." She sold her idea with a smile, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Fine, where are we going?" Sheldon relented.

"_Benny's Grill_," Don answered with a grin. "Make sure you guys take a long lunch."

The other two were beyond baffled. They looked at each other but couldn't make heads or tails of what he was talking about. _Benny's Grill_ was only four blocks away, and it was a quick place. Neither argued, however, so they agreed to take a long lunch. It wasn't as if they would want to get back to work. All the emotions from this case were getting to be too much for all involved.

On the other side of the glass, the interview progressed just as all the others had before it. Sophia insisted that everyone loved Miguel. He was a popular guy who had a heart of gold. That is, of course, the essence of what everyone said. The detectives in observation had little faith in this statement. They'd seen too many "good" people get killed for some backhanded deal they were involved in. It was the nature of their job to be skeptical.

"So lunch?" Sheldon asked once the interview concluded.

Kelly nodded and grabbed his arm. "Come on, let's get some food. I'm starvin'." She turned to Donnie and beckoned him with a tilt of her head. He grinned and followed obediently.

Don waited until they got outside to spring his idea on them - why he wanted them to go on a long lunch. "So can you guys come on a quick errand with me?"

"Long lunch?" Sheldon shook his head.

"You could've told us that, Donnie," Kelly smirked. "We'd've still come."

His eyebrows retreated into his flick of hair. "Really?"

"Yeah, you're paying for lunch," Sheldon shrugged. "It's the least we could do."

Don made a sour face before shaking his head. At least they were coming. If he had told them where they were going, they would've split before he could explain. He needed a second two-month anniversary gift.

He stopped in front of_ Victoria's Secret_ and waved the two of them over to him.

"_Hell_ no," Kelly flat out refused. "I'm not helpin' you buy lingerie."

"This is sick, Flack," Sheldon reprimanded. "Do this on your own time." He shook his head and kept walking.

"Come on, Doc! I need help," Flack called after him.

"I think that's fairly _obvious_."

"It'll take two minutes."

Sheldon looked at Kelly who couldn't help keep a grin off her face. "He'd owe us forever for this, Shel. I say we go for it."

"Please, we're having dinner tonight, and I don't have a gift for our two-month anniversary."

The doctor nodded. "But it better not take more than two minutes."

Don grinned because of his victory but didn't say anything to them. He led them through the store towards their lingerie section. Kelly shook her head but followed him anyway. Sheldon looked down. He couldn't stand the awkwardness of the situation.

A skimpy little black number (they all were) at the back of the store caught his eye as soon as he walked in. He made a beeline for it and grabbed it right off the rack. "What do you guys think?"

"You can't buy lingerie for your two-month anniversary gift!" Kelly exclaimed quite loudly, garnering the attention of several people around the store.

Flack frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's completely _selfish_ for starters."

"I don't think Niki will see it that way," he insisted.

"Did you just meet her?" Kelly retorted with an indignant stare. She had her hands on her hips and looked downright menacing.

He glared back. "What of it?"

Wanting to avoid a fight, Sheldon wisely stepped between them. "Let's just get the lingerie and go. We still have lunch to get through."

Both detectives were stressed, and this just happened to be something they had a minor disagreement on. Of course, they blew up over it. It was bound to happen. Kelly just shook her head and muttered a quiet "sorry" to which Don shrugged and muttered something incoherent.

"Do I know you three?"

In a somewhat synchronized move, the three spun on their heels to face this woman. At once, they recognized her as the woman Mac had chatted up at the bar. On the downside, however, no one knew her name. Mac was secretive.

They looked at each other with confused expressions, not really sure how to tell this woman that they knew her, but they didn't know her name.

"I'm Amy Fields. You were at the bar when I met Mac? You kept looking over at us?" They didn't react at all so she continued. "Surely, he's told you about me."

"No, he _didn't_ actually," Kelly told her with a nasty edge in her voice

Amy had the sense to know when she was being insulted. "I guess I thought he would've since he spends so much time at work, and you seem to know him judging by how many times you looked over at us."

"Well, he really only talks about things that are important," she drawled back, "so I can't _imagine_ why you didn't come up."

"I'm sure more important than your little _ménage à trois_," Amy rebutted slyly. "Maybe if you spent more time doing your job instead of planning whatever _indiscretions_ you're up to, you'd know this."

"What does it matter? You're obviously on the outs if you're looking at lingerie. What have you been on? One date?"

Sheldon pulled on her ponytail, hoping to get her to shut up. She was being petty, and it was annoying. He didn't like when she did this.

Amy, however, was not planning on letting Kelly get the last word. "You're one to talk. Planning some dirty little _rendezvous avec eux_?"

"If you want to be a smart ass, you have to be smart, Amy. Otherwise, you're just an ass," Kelly retorted and crossed her arms over her chest.

Sheldon grabbed her arm and begged her to stop with a look.

Don stepped in as mediator. "Sorry, we're just under a lot of stress with this case. Higgins didn't mean that. Honestly, she's just having a hard time."

Something in his argument struck her fancy, and she stopped glaring at Kelly. "You must be the voice of reason."

"You can call me Don."

She shook his hand and smiled. He was charming and so tall. Very unlike the woman to his left who was older than him but no where near as tall. If anything, she showed that age does not necessarily mean wisdom. She muttered "Kelly" as a way of introduction.

Sheldon took Amy's hand and enthusiastically told her his own name. "I'm Sheldon, and I'm the only one who works for Mac."

"Don't sound so proud of that, Doc," Kelly told him with a large amount of snark.

Amy rolled her eyes again. "What's your problem?"

"Honestly? You."

As expected, Amy scoffed and seemed ready to slap the detective.

"What she means," Flack said, once again stepping between them, "is that we've been working really hard, trying to get Mac to find a new CSI."

"Why?"

Sheldon stepped up to answer. "Last month, one of our supervisors left the lab."

"She was Mac's _best_ friend," Kelly corrected. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't take it out on you, but we were so close to getting him to start looking for someone. Then you came along, and it's worse than ever."

The apology was sincere enough, but Kelly didn't put enough heart in it to completely convince Amy that she was being heartfelt.

"And then," Flack continued where Kelly left off, "we're in the middle of a horrible case. You have to understand that with that going on, Mac's gonna be real focused on work. We need help getting him to see that he needs someone else."

"In other words, you want me to talk to him for you," Amy supplied.

"Not directly of course. Maybe just imply that you think he looks stressed, and then ask about work - maybe about why he works so late," Flack explained cautiously. "But nothing to suggest that you know anything."

Amy crossed her arms over her chest and stared intensely at the tall detective.

"Mac would never forgive us if he knew we asked you this," Sheldon answered Amy's question before she could ask it.

She glared once more at Kelly. "Why should I help you?"

"You're not helpin' us," Kelly answered with a glare of her own. "You're helpin' _Mac_."

"I'll think about it," she waved them off and went back to her own shopping which was on the other side of the store and away from the lingerie - a fact that made Higgins simmer.

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's go. Flack'll meet us at _Benny's_." He watched Don find his spot in a long line of lunch shoppers. He walked her out of the store and down the street.

She eyed a magazine stand's cigarettes for a solid minute before shrugging and catching up with him.

"What? No smokes?"

"I'm quittin'."

"Since when?"

"Since we went to the bar," she answered with a grin.

He looked skeptical so she lifted her sleeve so show him her nicotine patch. He put his arm around her shoulder. "So that's what that whole mood was about in there?"

"Well," she started and then thought better of it, "yeah, that's it. I'm just under a lot of stress with the case and this."

"I'm proud of you," he told her. "But Mac's going to be pissed at you."

"No, he won't," she laughed. He looked curious so she explained. "Amy isn't going to tell Mac about meeting us. She'll want to because I was a bitch, but she won't. She isn't going to want to admit that she was at _Victoria's Secret_ because even though she wasn't buying lingerie, he'll think she was. It's as simple as that."

They spent the rest of the walk talking about Sheldon's girlfriend, Jenna. She was an ER doctor at Angel of Mercy and incredibly gorgeous. He had already met her family, and he couldn't wait for her to meet his.

"When's she going to meet us?"

"Never," he winked.

She shook her head. "Why not?"

"You'll rip her to shreds just like you did Amy."

"No, not me."

He rolled his eyes. "You're such a liar."

"I won't because she makes you happy, Sheldon, and you're my friend," she explained.

Once they arrived at Benny's, a pretty young waitress seated them outside, under an awning. A few minutes later, Flack arrived and sat down at the table. The waitress returned to take their drink order. She eyed Don as she left to get the three of them some water.

"I think someone has a crush," Sheldon chuckled.

Kelly grinned. "Nobody tell Niki."

Don, however, did not find their comments funny at all. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "You guys are so immature. Can't one person be happy around you?"

"No, not really," his partner spat back with a smile on her face.

"You're supposed to be the mature one. You're thirty-seven, Kelly, and you just flipped on Amy like you were fourteen!"

He eyed his partner for a long time to see if she would make any retort. She didn't so he looked over the menu. Their avocado burger was his absolute favorite so he went with that just like he always did. His partner went with a southwestern burger (something she'd ultimately regret). Sheldon went with a salad since he had a big dinner planned with Jenna later that night.

Their food was brought out about twenty minutes, and it was delicious as expected. At least, Flack thought so. Kelly thought her burger was not southwestern enough. He supposed she would know, but he also thought that she should've at least ordered something she wouldn't have a problem with. In fact, he told her so.

"Do you have a problem with me, Don?" She dared him with her tone.

He frowned. "I don't get what's wrong with you."

"Nothin's wrong with me," she snapped at him. "You on the other hand..."

* * *

Mac groaned as he went through the crime scene files again. There was nothing. He couldn't find anything hinting toward a particular person. They had zero suspects still. They wouldn't be able to interview the baseball coach until he came back in town in two days since he was at a tournament in California with the team. He did find out that Miguel was unable to attend that tournament since St. Marks was still in the playoffs.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the glass.

Danny walked in with a grin. "Hey, Mac."

He answered with a nod.

"You know, the Cubs are playin' the Sox. It's on at _Sullivan's_."

He didn't look interested at all. He was too busy reading over the files again. "Danny, maybe some other time."

"Kelly called. She's looking over the reports and will call if she finds anything."

"It's your turn, isn't it?"

Danny hoped he looked quite confused at this. "I just wanna watch a baseball game, boss."

Mac sighed. "So the Cubs are playing?"

* * *

Don smiled when he looked at his girlfriend, Niki Foxx. She was a fox in every sense of the word. She made his day so much better especially after that fight with Higgins. He loved watching her walk into the restaurant.

"Hey," he said softly and stood up from his chair.

She snorted. "Hi, Donnie. What's with the long face?"

He shook his head as if he thought he didn't want to bother her with his day. Then, he realized he wanted to tell her everything. "Kelly's being a bitch so I called her out on it, and now she's pissed at me. Mac is still dating that Amy chick which is why Kelly was being a bitch to begin with. This case is nowhere close to being solved, but that doesn't matter right now. I should be happy to see you - and I am - but this case is getting to me."

"You'll figure it out," she answered with an eye roll. "Anyway, happy two months to us. No one thought we'd make it here. Again."

"Here we are," he agreed and took a drink of wine.

They sat in a comfortable silence while they looked over the menu. Suddenly, Don thought of something.

"I know an FBI guy!"

"Congratulations," Niki grinned back, "you have friends."

"No," he frowned, "I know an FBI guy. I'll ask him if he knows of anyone. Who better to take Stella's spot than someone from the FBI?"

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this. I just want to say that the Cubs do play the Red Sox in interleague play which is in June (which is when this story is set). Please review. Have a wonderful day**!


	4. Bottom of the Fourth

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY. I do own Kelly Higgins and Amy Fields.**

**Notes: Part 4 of 9. Thanks to Nik Nak 17 for reading. Warning. There is a slight crossover with _White Collar_, but it's so slight you might miss it. Like always, enjoy.**

**No game in the world is as tidy and dramatically neat as baseball, with cause and effect, crime and punishment, motive and result, so cleanly defined. ~ Paul Gallico**

**The Perfect Game**

**Bottom of the Fourth**

_Seems like the infielders aren't on their best form today. Still, they don't need to be. Even playing poorly, they're better than most. They don't need to be perfect today the way the pitcher's pitching..._

Mac settled into the observation room while Don interrogated Miguel's summer team's coach. He was in his late thirties, and he reminded Mac of a kid who never learned to grow up. The head of the crime lab frowned and looked over at the dry erase board where notes from the case were still listed.

The interview was going well. They at least got some information from Daniel Clark.

"We know it wasn't you since you were in California when Miguel was murdered, but we were hoping you'd be able to tell us if he was in any trouble or who would want to hurt him," Don explained gruffly. He was bothered by something, but Mac didn't know what.

Daniel sighed. "I don't know. He was a hard worker. Every practice, he gave 110%. He didn't just pitch. He could play any position out there."

"Did he have any enemies? Anyone on the team jealous of him?"

"Not really. He got along with everyone. He had a problem with Jason Black, but they sorted it out a couple of weeks ago. Jason's one of our other pitchers."

"What was the fight about?"

"A girl," Daniel laughed. "Oh, to be seventeen again."

"Yeah," Don smiled despite himself.

"Her name's Sophia."

Don checked his notes. "Sophia Perez? Miguel's girlfriend?"

"Yeah, her. But like I said, they settled it."

"Did anything happen to Miguel in the past couple of weeks?"

Daniel nodded slowly. "He told me he-"

Mac couldn't catch what he said because the door to the observation room opened and his attention was directed elsewhere. Danny entered observation and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Anything new, boss?"

"Nothing yet," he answered grimly. The CSI nodded and watched the interrogation (question session actually) end.

Flack thanked Daniel for coming in for questions and walked out with his notes. Danny and Mac followed him into the bullpen.

"Oi, Higgs!"

The detective turned her head. "What?"

"I got a field trip for you." He handed her his notes and pointed to what he wanted her to see.

"Why can't you go?"

"You're not doin' anything."

"Got a lunch date?" She asked with a roll of her eyes.

He shrugged.

"What's her name? _Victoria_?" Danny chipped in.

"What about her last name? It wouldn't happen to be a _Secret_, would it?" Kelly grinned.

Don shook his head. "Peter actually."

"Don't ask don't tell," his partner responded with a wry grin.

Danny smirked and started to laugh. "I hope he isn't overdressed for your date. He'll probably be disappointed with you."

"Unless you get him a corsage."

"Go to hell," Don groaned. Danny and Kelly laughed heartily which made him even more annoyed. Mac rolled his eyes at the exchange and walked out of the precinct. He didn't want to deal with the three of them when there was work to do.

The three watched him leave before huddling together.

"So Peter is?" Danny asked.

"FBI agent. He works white collar crimes. Anyway, he owes me a favor."

"And he's going to find Mac's new CSI?" Kelly interjected hopefully.

Don nodded. "If I ever meet him. Higgs, go see Judge Walters. He'll get you that warrant."

She saluted and grabbed the car keys. "Danny, come along now. We're goin' on a field trip."

They left Don to straighten up his desk before meeting the FBI agent. He made sure his top drawer with his piece was locked before leaving.

He walked a few blocks to a quaint little bistro that he didn't really go to except when meeting with FBI agents. They seemed to enjoy it. Whenever they needed to meet with the NYPD, it was there.

He sat down at the usual booth and ordered an espresso. It arrived a minute before the FBI agent. Peter Burke sat down with a hasty apology as to his tardiness.

"Peter, it's good to see you."

"I'd say likewise, but every time I see you, there's been a murder."

"No murder this time," Don grinned. "I just need to ask a favor."

Peter frowned. "What kind of favor?"

"The kind that gets killers off the streets," Don answered dryly. He tapped the table a few times with his fingers as he took a sip of espresso.

Peter rolled his eyes at Don's dramatics. "What do you want?"

"We lost a crime lab supervisor. She went to New Orleans, and the crime lab's shorthanded. We can't find anyone qualified."

The FBI agent sighed and finally nodded. "I'll see what I can find. There's something going on in DC. Maybe someone there will be interested."

"Thank you, Peter. I owe you one."

The agent nodded and walked out.

Don finished his espresso slowly before paying his tab. He sat at the table a little while longer, thinking over his plan of action. He hoped Peter would have someone off the top of his head, but that was a long shot anyway. The special agent had things to do in the white collar division anyway. Don only hoped that he could help them find the perfect person.

He walked back to the precinct to finish up some paperwork on a case they closed a couple of weeks ago. About an hour into the paperwork, his partner noisily sat down at her own desk across from his.

"Not good?"

"Judge Walters wouldn't give us a warrant. He seemed to think that we didn't have enough to go on. We tried going and asking to look in their home, but the husband wouldn't let us in. He said he knew his rights."

"Just makes him look more guilty," Don agreed. She nodded and took a look at the stack of paperwork on her own desk.

He laughed when she groaned and got up to get her a coffee. Their fight a few days before was trivial and didn't make a lasting impact on their friendship. He wanted to make it up to her for blowing up like he had. They were too close to hold a grudge. She smiled and thanked him before drowning herself in caffeine.

"How was lunch?" she asked warily. "Any news?"

"Not yet. He said he'd look."

She frowned and took a sip of coffee.

"You wanna smoke?" Flack grinned and offered her a cigarette from his own pack.

She shook her head. "I quit."

He looked shocked but smiled anyway. "Damn. Well, good for you I guess and me. Now, you can stop bumming my cigarettes." He winked at her, and she found herself laughing. He walked out without another word, and she began her paperwork.

* * *

Mac had missed something. He was sure he had. This case wasn't making any sense. They still had no motive. No suspects. Danny had told him that they washed up on whatever he and Higgins were looking for.

He swore quietly at this new bit of information. He picked up his phone, determined to talk to the homicide detective about how exactly their lead hit a dead end, when it rang.

"Taylor," he answered without looking at the number.

"I forgot how sexy you are when you talk like a cop." He felt his heart drop when it wasn't Higgins with an explanation but Amy. Still, he found himself grinning.

"Did I forget something?" he asked cautiously, knowing that it was bound to happen. Not all romances worked out, and things didn't always go well when he forgot something. They had just gone on a date the night before so he was almost positive that he hadn't stood her up.

She laughed, and he relaxed a little. "No, no, I was just wondering something." He knew she was fidgeting on the line.

"Can it wait? I'm at work, and I really can't talk while I'm here," he informed her quickly.

She sounded disappointed, and he felt bad about what he said. "Okay, call me when you get off?"

He hung up after agreeing and sat down in his chair, almost letting out a pathetic groan. He managed to keep it together in time for his homicide detective to come in with a sly grin.

"Should I come back later?" she drawled and couldn't keep the laughter out of her voice.

He groaned (not quite as pathetically as he thought he might). "Higgs, you are so lucky to be single."

Her sarcasm was not missed. "You know, Taylor, I was just thinkin' that the other day. You know, about how much I love not having someone to come home to and the like."

He had the grace to blush slightly. "You could always get a fish."

"Oh yes, a fish," she mocked openly. "A cat would be better. Maybe I'll get a few so I can be a crazy cat lady."

"Or at least Don won't come over," he teased.

She smiled. "That might be even better. He'd stop eating all my food." He laughed and leaned back a little in his swivel chair. She kept grinning at him as she watched him relax a little. "So was that Amy?"

He arched an eyebrow. "How'd you know it was her? And how'd you know her name?" He hadn't mentioned her to anyone from work. That was the point of keeping his personal and working life separate.

She looked a little guilty, but that vanished and she leaned over his desk. "I'm a detective, Detective."

He shook his head. "Speaking of which, how come that lead fell through?"

Plopping down into one of the chairs in front of his desk, Higgins made a face. "Judge Walters doesn't believe we have enough to go on. He said he wouldn't sign off on a warrant unless we have something more conclusive. He also promised that he wouldn't let any other judge sign it. We went by ourselves, but he wouldn't let us in without a warrant. I'm about to go through my reports again. Jason Black's father had something to do with it. I know he did."

"The teammate's father?"

"Yeah, hopefully I can get a warrant in the morning," she sighed, looking at her watch. Her shift was almost over.

He nodded and sighed contently. This was the best they could hope for. He watched the homicide detective sit fixed in her seat instead of getting up like he expected her to do. "What?"

She grinned again. "Well, what'd she have to say?"

He couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

She chuckled. "Don't you wish, Taylor?"

"I'm not going to sit here and gossip about my personal life!"

"Why not? Your lab does it anyway," she teased, and he grunted in response. He motioned her to the door.

She stayed firmly planted in the chair.

"I'll start, Mac. I don't have one. I'll probably take those reports to my fish-less and cat-less apartment," she grinned. "But, hey, good news for the fellas. I'm a great catch." She laughed, and he joined in, knowing she was just poking fun at herself. "I mean, look at me. I work sixty plus hours a week. I'm always with my partner, and instead of taking off at the end of my shift, I'm in my ex-boss' office. So form a line, fellas. No pushin' or shovin'."

"Is this your way of asking for company to look over reports?" he asked with something slightly less than an eye roll.

She grinned. "Oh, I thought you'd never ask."

**A/N: Well, more about the case. Sorry for such a long time between updates. I promise to be better. Please tell me what you think. Have a great day! :)**


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